Several years ago, my business partner Immanuel Elliott and I became absolutely OBSESSED with Qui Nguyen's script for She Kills Monsters. We knew we'd end up producing it one day but we wanted to have the resources, cast, and time (an even more rare resource than money in in theatre!) to make it the best it could be. Over the past year, all of the chips have delightfully fallen into place: We got a grant from MRAC thanks to Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage fund, and we moved in as the full time managers, curators, and artists in residence at the Fox Egg Gallery so we had a space to create the monsters, puppets, and weapons in, as well as a stable, safe way to build the necessary fights. We are less than a week out from tech, and so excited to reveal all of our hard work to the world. We were thrilled to see so many talented youth actors come through our door, eager to take place in this heartbreaking yet hilarious play of identity, grief, and coming to terms with both. We could not have asked for a better cast, and our adult actors have really upped the ante too.

There are words you expect to hear in relation to Gadfly's work: queer, poignant, brave, exciting, grrrl-powered, and welcoming, to start. These words are all solidly present in She Kills Monsters. Nguyen's script did most of the work for us there, but we intentionally nurture a "come as you are" community that celebrates our artists for who they are and fosters a rehearsal and build process that focuses on brainstorming and co-conspiring. Two heads are better than one, (or in this case, five heads if we're talking about dragons), and we are honored to be presenting a She Kills Monsters that belongs to and utilizes every voice in the cast and production crew. Then there are words you don't necessarily associate with us: sweet, fun, and family-friendly to start, but while She Kills Monsters is never afraid to "go there", it never strays too far from the whimsy you expect a show set largely against the backdrop of Dungeons and Dragons to live in.

As artists doing queer art, we at Gadfly don't get to express our nerdy side as often we like. It's why we created our annual Final Frontier Festival which certainly helps close the gap in theatre for the hordes of queer & feminist nerds out there, but to find a mainstage show that fits so firmly in our mission while also demands a show build that included five-headed dragons and flexible armor is a ridiculous, dice-filled dream come true.

We can't wait to show you what we've been working on--and it's coming up! We're polishing our swords and combat boots now, so go ahead and head over to shekillsmonstersmn.brownpapertickets.com to snag your tickets today!

QUEERulously Yours,Cassandra SnowProud ProducerShe Kills Monsters

GADFLY THEATRE

Gadfly Theatre provides an artistic haven for audiences and artists, a place to explore, create, and open safe dialogues about queer and feminist issues.